The apparatus disclosed relates to a hands free apparatus for controlling water discharge operations which is adapted to minimize water usage at taps such as kitchen and bathroom sinks, whether residential or industrial, and more particularly, to optimum design features for such apparatus.
As a result of either water costs or shortages, it is often desirable to reduce the amount of water consumed at a point of use, such as at a tap supplying water to a household kitchen sink. Typically, the actual amount of water required to accomplish the task at hand is relatively small compared to the amount of water that is inadvertently wasted while the user""s attention is directed elsewhere. For example, it is often inconvenient to shut off the water flow between rinsing separate utensils, or while cutting a freshly rinsed vegetable. Or, handling faucets when cutting raw meat may inadvertently contaminate the controls with bacteria, such as virulent stains of E. coli, and is best avoided by leaving rinse water running during meat cutting operations, to avoid health code violations in institutional or commercial kitchen settings. While the economic cost of such wasteful practices has only begun to reach the pocketbooks of individual consumers, collectively, society has begun to encounter the cost of such practices in many ways. For example, it has become common in certain areas to hear of the denial of water availability certifications that are required before beginning construction of new homes. Also, consumptive water uses have reduced in-stream flows, have contributed to the decline of fish populations, and also have adversely impacted the recreational use of certain lakes and rivers that are used for water supply.
Nevertheless, although diaphragm type valves have long been known, the special design necessary to adapt such devices to regulate tap water flow has not been exploited heretofore by others. Thus, the advantages offered the disclosed hydraulically actuated, unique diaphragm valve design, and its avoidance of electrical or mechanical linkages as a prerequisite to actuate a water flow valve, are important and self-evident.
A novel pilot controlled water flow control valve and accompanying actuator bar is disclosed which does not have the drawbacks common to those somewhat similar products heretofore designed or used. Unlike the earlier designs that attempted to provide a mechanical or electrical linkage for use in opening and closing a valve, an exemplary design is provided that includes a simple means for opening and closing the valve, without resorting to either electrical or mechanical components. Further, it is simple to use, easy to install, and otherwise superior to those designs heretofore used or proposed. In addition, it provides significant reduction in water consumption in systems that utilize the device.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent to the reader that one important and primary object the apparatus disclosed resides in the provision of a novel pilot valve actuated water valve apparatus for reducing the consumption of water in regulated water taps, and which improves the reliability, simplicity and safety of such types of devices by reducing or eliminating reliance on electrical wiring or extensive mechanically linked parts.
Other important but more specific objects of the apparatus disclosed reside in (1) the provision of an apparatus for reducing the consumption of water at discharge taps, and (2) the provision of a method for reducing the flow of water at discharge taps, using the apparatus described herein which:
can easily and quickly installed by an unsophisticated user in existing, conventional, manually operated household kitchen and bathroom sinks;
which in a relatively inexpensive manner can reduce water consumption at such kitchen and bathroom sinks;
which can easily and quickly be installed in institutional or commercial kitchens to enable employees to engage in hands-off water faucet operation, thereby reducing cross-contamination between raw foods and finished products, and thus insuring that health codes can be easily complied with during normal operations.
Other important objects, features, and additional advantages of the disclosed apparatus will become apparent to the reader from the foregoing and from the appended claims and as the ensuing detailed description and discussion proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.
A novel pilot operated valve apparatus for controlling the discharge of fluids, and in particular for controlling the discharge of water from a pressurized water supply system, is provided. The valve apparatus is particularly useful for minimizing the amount of water used at industrial, commercial, and household kitchen sinks.
The novel valve apparatus is advantageously utilized for control flow of fluid discharge from a pressurized fluid distribution system, such as those systems configured with the valve apparatus being supplied with fluid via an incoming conduit that supplies the fluid under pressure. The valve apparatus includes a primary valve, a pilot valve, and an actuator that is linked to the pilot valve. The primary valve has an inlet adapted to receive fluid under pressure from an incoming conduit, an outlet adapted to discharge the fluid to an outlet conduit, a diaphragm chamber having a pilot portion and a working portion, and a fluid pressure controlled primary diaphragm. The primary diaphragm is located in the primary diaphragm chamber between the pilot portion and the working portion of the primary diaphragm chamber. The primary diaphragm has a pilot side and a working side. The working side of the primary diaphragm is configured to engage at least a portion of the inlet, as well as the outlet. The primary diaphragm is adapted to be responsive to fluid pressure to move between (a) an open position wherein fluid pressure from the inlet disengages the primary diaphragm from the outlet so that fluid is allowed from the inlet to the outlet and thence to the outlet conduit, and (b) a closed position, wherein fluid pressure on the pilot side of the primary diaphragm forces the primary diaphragm to sealingly engage the outlet so that fluid is not allowed from the inlet to the outlet. To release fluid pressure so as to operate the valve, a bleed inlet line from the primary valve is provided operatively connected to a pilot valve. The bleed inlet line has a first end and a second end, with the first end hydraulically connected to the pilot portion of the primary diaphragm chamber. The pilot valve has a bleed inlet which is hydraulically connected to the second end of the bleed inlet line from the pilot portion of the diaphragm chamber. Also, the pilot valve has a bleed outlet for discharge of the bleed fluid, and a pressurizable fluid reservoir located between the bleed inlet and the bleed outlet. The fluid reservoir is adapted to receive pressurized liquid from the bleed inlet line. The pilot valve is operated using a plunger to displace a repositionable pilot diaphragm between (a) a normally closed position wherein the repositionable pilot diaphragm sealingly engages the bleed outlet to block escape of said pressurized fluid through the pilot valve, and (b) an open position, wherein the repositionable pilot diaphragm is displaced from the bleed outlet so as to hydraulically open the bleed outlet for passage of fluid therethrough. In the open position, pressurized fluid from the pilot side of the primary diaphragm chamber is discharged through the pilot valve, relieving pressure on the diaphragm. An actuator, operatively linked to the pilot valve, is provided to enable the pilot valve to be opened and closed by manipulation of the actuator. The actuator has an open position and an inwardly directed normally closed position. The pilot valve is responsive to movement of the actuator, so that upon inwardly moving the actuator to the open position, the operating link causes the plunger of the pilot valve to reposition the pilot valve diaphragm from a normally closed position to an open position, thereby effecting the release of pressurized fluid out the bleed outlet and releasing fluid pressure on the pilot side of the primary diaphragm, to thereby allowing the primary diaphragm to move to the open position, and thus allowing the full fluid stream from the inlet conduit to flow through the primary valve.
The novel valve apparatus provides a simple device for minimizing water use in regulatable taps. This design provides a significant improvement in the art by reducing complexity compared to previous designs known to me for regulating or minimizing flow of liquid at point of use type devices such as institutional, commercial, and residential kitchen and bathroom sinks.